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After a moody announcement trailer last year, developer Cold Symmetry has finally shown Mortal Shell II in action with a substantial gameplay video that runs to over 11 minutes and, crucially, doesn't lean too heavily on cuts. What you see is more or less what you'll get.
The footage gives a solid read on where the sequel is heading. Combat feels noticeably more fluid than the first game, which is largely down to the removal of the stamina gauge. There's no more backing off to wait for a bar to refill you're just fighting, chaining attacks and dodges together in a way that gives the whole thing a more kinetic, less methodical feel than its predecessor. Whether that costs the series some of its distinctive tension remains to be seen, but on first impressions, it looks like a natural step forward.
The original's core possession mechanic is back. You play as the Harbinger, travelling through a destroyed world and possessing the corpses of fallen warriors - each with their own abilities, strengths and secrets to unlock through discovered memories. The weapon design looks meaningfully expanded too, with far more upgrade options than the original offered.
The world itself is described as a compact open world connecting over 60 dungeons, spread across environments including forests, frozen graveyards and temples carved from bone.
Visually, it's a bit of a mixed bag. This doesn't look like a game straining to show off next-gen hardware, and some areas feel closer to a polished mid-gen title than a showpiece. That said, the art direction carries a lot of weight - the creature design in particular is genuinely impressive.
The gameplay footage throws up giant bloated monstrosities, spider-limbed humanoids, flying infant creatures, and what appears to be a very large monster on a cart. It's creative, it's grim, and it fits the world well.
Mortal Shell II is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam sometime in 2026.
